Dark was the Night
by Blackcat509
Summary: 8x09/8x10 Tag to Dark was the Night/Suddenly. I wanted this to be a bit more about Meredith and Alex. OK, a lot more about Meredith and Alex, so I wrote this. What if the ambulance crash had been a little bit worse than in the actual episode.


**I've finally worked out that the best time for me to write is after midnight but before 4am so most of this was written at an un-godly hour of the morning. Yay for not being able to sleep. I have a couple of other idea's for Grey's related stories but I can't seem to get them down. In the meantime there's this. Please enjoy.**

One minute Alex is arguing with me about getting out of the ambulance and the next, everything is turned upside down. Literally, upside down. The ambulance and Alex turn into a massive blur as everything is thrown around, my head and hand slam into the incubator before bouncing off towards the back doors as the ambulance tips. All in all, an unpleasant feeling and the blackness that is clouding my vision is a lot more friendly.

When the ambulance was finally still Alex tried to push himself up only for his left arm to give way ripping a scream of agony from his throat. Pulling himself up with his right, Alex propped himself against one of the cabinets and forced the oxygen tank that had landed on his stomach to the floor beside him, moaning at the tenderness of his abdomen before taking in the wreck, his first thought going to the baby they had been transporting and then to Meredith. Some how the lights still worked casting a dim glow on the equipment scattered around him. The incubator had tipped on it's side, cracking the plastic in a couple of places when the ambulance went over but the baby inside was still breathing, somehow she'd survived. What made Alex's heart jump into his throat was that the incubator and the frame it had been sat on had landed on Meredith's chest trapping her under it and tangling her leg in its metal bars, twisting it at an unnatural angle. He couldn't see her face, only her feet but judging by how still they were Alex guessed she was out cold. Seeing that gave him the adrenaline burst he needed to haul himself to his feet, cracking his already pounding head on the opposite wall of cabinets that now sat above him. Cursing, he crawled onto the seats that were now the floor and made his way to the back of the ambulance, the only noises his laboured breathing, the respirations of the ventilator and the rain still drumming down on the metal of the rig.

Maybe a minute or an hour later the blackness gave way to blurry walls and a painful ringing in Meredith's ears. The weight on her chest was making it difficult to breathe and where there should have been pain all there was was a strange tingling sensation dancing across her nerves as Meredith's brain tried to catch up with what had just happened. The fuzzy shape of Alex leaning over her greeted her when she cracked her eyes open and even with the blurriness she could see that his arm was hanging loose at his side and there was blood streaming into his left eye, but despite the blood on his face he was pale.

"Alex?" her own voice was just louder than the ringing in her head that was slow to stop and now there's a shooting pain burning it's way up her left leg where it's trapped under the metal frame.

"Mer. Mer just, just don't move."

"Not planning on it," she gritted out, "what happened?"

"We got hit and the rig tipped."

"The baby?"

"When we tipped the incubator landed on top of you, but the baby's okay, I think. She's still breathing at any rate. I think you cushioned the landing for her," he replied with smile.

"Oh good."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you Mer." Wiping the blood away from his eye with his hand Alex opened the top of the incubator and carefully lifted the baby out placing her on the seat next to him before looking back down to Meredith. "I'm going to lift the incubator off you and I have no idea if you've broken any ribs so this might hurt a bit," when she nodded Alex found a good grip on the plastic. "On three. One. Two."

"Wait, wait," she interrupted.

"What?" Alex sighed, irritation coming through clearly.

"Are you lifting just the incubator or the stand as well because I'm pretty sure my leg is trapped in the frame and I'm pretty sure it's broken."

"I'd noticed that," he answered, ignoring her question. "On three. One. Two. Three." With a grunt, Alex hauled the incubator off of Meredith's chest, earning a quite moan from her and dropped it near the drivers window before leaning back over Meredith, taking in his friend and checking for any visible injuries, his eyes catching on the purple swelling of her left wrist and the blood seeping out of her hairline, before tuning his attention to her leg. When she tried to sit up Alex placed a hand on her shoulder and forced her back down, "Stay still."

"Alex, you can't do anything with your shoulder out like that. Let me pop-"

"Mer. I'm fine, now just stay still while I get your leg out."

"Alex. I can help."

"Mer," Alex's eyes flicked to hers, his face pale and sweaty, "It's my fault you lost your baby, I'm not going to be responsible for you dying in an ambulance wreck. The sooner we get out of here the better. Now stay still. This _is_ going to hurt." Loosely taking hold of her ankle with his left hand Alex grabbed the frame with his right and pulled it out, wincing at he pain in his stomach and the high pitched scream torn from Meredith's throat. "Sorry," he muttered as he sat up and checked on the baby next to him, giving Meredith a minute to catch her breath and get the pain under control.

"How's she doing Alex," asked Meredith, her voice breathy with pain.

"She's okay. Holding on for now."

"Good. Now what about you."

"I'm fine."

"Alex," Meredith all but shouted, "your arm is hanging out of it socket, your head's bleeding and every time you bend over your face pales just a little bit more. You're not fine."

"An oxygen tank landed on me in the crash but I'm fine," he reassured her.

"Alex, you could have internal bleeding."

"I'm fine, and your one to talk. There was an incubator sat on chest until a few minutes ago. _You_ could have internal bleeding."

"I'm fine!"

"Great. So we're both fine," Alex growled sarcastically, "now what?"

"We should probably get out of the ambulance and try and ring the hospital back. Help me up," Meredith asked, reaching her right arm out to him after her first attempt to sit ended in a pitiful moan of pain.

"I thought you were fine," smirked Alex, before leaning over her and sliding his arm under her back, helping her into a sitting position on the seats come floor next him. When her breathing became more laboured, Alex began to worry. "Maybe I should check you over before we get out."

"Alex," she started, "we check each other for injuries when we get out. The longer we stay here the more likely we are to get more." Alex frowned but nodded his head, conceding to her logic but unwilling to admit she might be right. Reaching over and catching the latch on the back door he pulled the handle, watching as the door dropped down and bounced a few times before it settled revealing the rain pouring down on three bodies lying in the road and the car turned on its roof.

For a moment all they did was stare, Alex swearing loudly, before the both swung themselves out of the rig and onto the tarmac. As soon as Meredith's left leg tried to bare her weight she collapsed, her leg creating a sickening grating sound as she screamed. Alex glanced back but when he saw the stubbornness in her eyes he jogged over to the first body and quickly checked his pulse, bowing his head when he didn't find one. Getting up Alex moved on to the third body, by passing the older woman having spotted brain matter on road, once again falling to find a pulse. When a young women emerged from the wreck screaming, Alex was relieved. At least one person had survived. She immediately ran to the bodies of her family screaming at Alex and Meredith to help, not listening when he tried to tell her that they were gone.

Taking hold of the girls shoulders, Alex shook her to get her attention, letting out a sigh when her gaze locked on his. "I'm sorry. They're gone." When she started to sob on his shoulder all he could do was hold her for a moment, grateful she was leaning on his right arm, before pulling away. "was there anyone else in the car with you?"

"My brother and my sister, but she's dead. She's dead," she sobbed before looking around frantically, "My brother, where is he, where's Michael? Where is he?" She screamed.

"I don't know, but I'm going to look okay." Pointing over to Meredith, Alex told her to go over to her and wait but she shook her head and began screaming for her brother. While the sister screamed herself ragged Alex began to search around the back of the crashed car, frowning when he saw the body of a boy almost cut in two under the wreck. Knowing he wouldn't find a pulse Alex checked anyway, mumbling a quiet "I'm sorry kid," to the body before going back around to the sister.

From where Meredith was sat crumpled on the ground at the back of the ambulance she could tell that it was bad. Alex hadn't stopped with any of the victims until the girl had staggered out of the car and even then it was only for a moment before he started moving again, only to come back a few minutes later and put his arm around her and begin to guide her to the side of the road taking his coat off and wrapping it around her. By the time he came back and crouched next to Meredith Alex's hair was slicked to his skull and his scrubs were soaked through.

"How bad?" Meredith whispered.

"Mum, Dad, Grandma, Brother and Sister. Poor kid won't know what's just hit her," Alex said, his voice full of emotion. Meredith bowed her head and closed her eyes letting out a deep sigh. After a minute Alex spoke again. "We need to get out of the middle of the road Mer. Can you stand?"

"No." Nodding in understanding, Alex looped his right arm under Meredith's left and helped her to her feet ignoring her groans of pain and the stabs of fire running through his stomach, still he was relieved when she caught hold of the side of the ambulance and took some weight of off him. Letting her get her balance before moving, Alex waited for her to nod before he began to walk them toward the side of the road. Carefully lowering Meredith to the ground, leaning her against a tree next to the girl Alex headed back to the ambulance for some equipment.

"What's your name?" Meredith asked.

She received a sobbed "Lily," in answer.

"Okay Lily, is there any pain anywhere?" All Lily did was shake her head in response. Any other question Meredith asked was answered with tears and in the end she left her to her grief. By the time Alex returned with oxygen tanks and equipment, Meredith was shivering with the rain thrumming down on her and the mud seeping into her pants, and had tugged her trainer off to examine the swelling around her lower leg and ankle.

"Broken?" Alex asked.

"Definitely."

Frowning Alex nodded back at the rig, "I'm going to get the baby," before jogging off. Digging through the bag next to her Meredith pulled out a gaze pad and pressed it to her head trying to stop the bleeding, grimacing when it didn't work and the blood continued to drip down into her eye. When Alex returned with the baby cradled in his right arm and his left struggling to squeeze the ambu bag he looked at Meredith and then back to the ambulance.

"What's wrong?" Meredith questioned when she noticed the concern on his face.

"I couldn't find our phones and I'm sure that paramedic should have been back by now. I can't keep the baby's temp up either," he said as he sat down next to her. For a moment they were both still before Meredith began shrugging her coat off. "What are you doing?" Alex demanded.

"I'll wrap the baby in my coat and keep her ventilated while you go and search for our mobiles . I know mine was on top of the incubator when we crashed."

"Mer," Alex protested, "your left wrist looks broken. There's no way you can squeeze and ambu bag and hold her at the same time." Looking over to Lily he shook his head, "and she's no help either at the minute."

"If I prop her in my left elbow my coat should support her and I can use my right hand then. Alex it's the best option we've got." When he looked unconvinced she amended, "It's the only choice we've got." Finally agreeing, Alex settled the baby into Meredith's coat before zipping it up around her, leaving only her head free and made sure Meredith was okay before he headed back to the ambulance. Without her coat the rain quickly cut down to Meredith's skin raising goose bumps along her arms and making her injuries hurt more. Leaning her head back against the tree behind her Meredith began to count. One, two, squeeze. One, two, squeeze. Just as she had been taught in med school. For a while she feel into a rhythm and her mind wandered. She'd lost Zola. She wasn't going to get her back. Zola was gone and it broke her heart. Her reverie was broken when Alex came back holding two twisted bits of metal and glass.

"Neither phone survived the crash I take it," Meredith commented, receiving a shake of the head from Alex. "Guess we just wait then." Nodding in defeat, Alex sat down next to her, pressing his shoulder against hers to try and stay warm. "How's your stomach?" She questioned.

"Fine, I checked in the ambulance." At her raised eyebrow he went on, "no distension, my abdomen is soft and palpable. That good enough for you?"

"Get a CT as soon as we get back."

"Yes boss," he muttered, smirking. "What about you?"

"Broken leg, maybe broken wrist."

"Get Torres to look at it as soon as we get back," he teased, grinning when she glared at him. "Hey I don't want to have to explain to Shepherd why your wandering round the hospital with broken bones."

"Oh yeah 'cause I'm wandering so far at the minute," she said with a laugh. Their banter was cut off by headlights coming up the road. They both held their breath, hoping and praying that it would stop before it slammed into the crashed car or the ambulance, letting it out when the van stopped with another ambulance behind it. When the paramedic from before hopped out and jogged over with a couple of others Alex smiled.

"Took you long enough," he said through chattering teeth.

"Sorry. I had to wait for dispatch to send another ambulance out set up with an incubator." For a moment the paramedic took in the two surgeons and the injured girl. "I thought I told you two to get out of the rig," he yelled.

"Yeah, well have you ever tried to get together the equipment for a preeme that you need to take out in the pouring rain. It's not easy," Alex hollerred back. Looking to Meredith, Alex took a deep breath before going on, "take the baby and the girl in the rig. We'll take the van." Nodding the paramedics crouched down and helped Lily to the ambulance before taking the baby from Meredith. "Take them to Seattle Grace Mercy West. Tell Dr. Robbins the baby's been without antibiotics for the past hour and has had continuous manual ventilation for about the same amount of time. Keep an eye on her for hypothermia as well," Alex shouted after the retreating paramedics. Watching the ambulance pull away, Alex and the remaining paramedic help Meredith to her feet, supporting her weight as they limped to the back of the van.

"There's blankets and water in the back and there's a couple of hand held lantern lights so you won't be in the dark," he said once the two of them were sat on the floor of the van, "I'll try and make the ride as smooth as possible but still, your going to be bounced about back there."

"Hey, any chance I can borrow you mobile?" Nodding the paramedic passed his phone to Meredith before slamming the back doors. Turning the lights on and pulling the blankets around themselves, Meredith dialled Derek's number, surprised when it answered on the first ring.

"Hello," came Derek's concerned voice.

"Hey, we're on our way now. Alex is going to need a CT and I'm going to want an X-Ray and we both need some stitches."

"Let us worry about that. You're both okay though?"

"Yeah we're fine," she reassured, smirking at the relieved tone in his voice, "we should be at the hospital in about an hour."

"Okay, I'll be waiting," he said before hanging up. Looking at Alex, Meredith nodded and he slapped his hand against the divider to the drivers cab letting him know they were good for him to set off. When the van lurched to a start they both winced in pain and Meredith gripped Alex's wrist when the van hit a pot hole jarring her leg.

When the van pulled up outside the ER there were already two trolleys waiting for them as well as half the surgical staff. The instant the van stopped Derek had the doors pulled open and was inside scrambling over to where Meredith was sat with Alex, Dr. Bailey close behind.

"Meredith," Derek asked quietly, concerned at how she had hardly responded to him when the doors opened.

"We've been bounced around pretty hard back here," Alex said, seeing the concern on Shepherd's face, "she's in a lot of pain. I think it's knocked her out a bit." Thanking him Derek sat down next to her waiting for Bailey to help Alex out of the van before shouting for Owen to come and help him with Meredith. When she was settled on a bed Derek went to help with her treatment only for Richard's hand on his chest to stop him, a solemn look on his face.

"I know you want to help, but she's your wife. You know you can't."

"Richard I'm not going to just wait out here."

"Derek," he said more firmly, "she's in good hands and I'll keep you informed. I promise." Finally agreeing Derek went and stood by the window looking into her room. When Alex was wheeled by, he inquired as too where he was going, the answer Bailey gave him was to CT to check for internal injuries before they put his shoulder back in place. When Callie arrived a while later, Derek caught her arm before she went in.

"What's going on?"

"Got paged for a consult. Why?"

"When you know what's happening, let me know."

"I will, don't worry," she replied putting a comforting hand on his shoulder before pushing the door open. A few minutes later Meredith was wheeled out in the direction of X-Ray and when Derek made to follow, Richard stopped him.

"She's going to be fine. We've given her something for the pain and paged Sloan to put the stitches in her scalp. We're just waiting on X-Rays now but her left tibia is broken and possibly her left scaphoid. Dr. Hunt is also worried about possible rib fractures, her chest is a little bruised up."

"What about internal bleeding or head trauma."

"There's no sign of any thing like that. Derek she's going to be fine," Richard reassured when Derek looked unconvinced. "When she's out of X-Ray you can sit with her." Breathing out a sigh of relief he nodded before heading over to the nurses station to find which room his wife would be moved too.

"Karev," Bailey said, "your CT scan came back clear. You have bruising to your abdomen which will be tender for the next couple of weeks so _no_ strenuous activity. Now for that shoulder," she said as she approached him and took a good grip on the top of his arm.

"On three?" Alex asked.

"One three. One, two," with a resounding snap she pushed the bone back into its socket earning a strangled groan of agony and an incredulous look from Alex.

"You said on three," he panted, "that wasn't three."

"The element of surprise Dr. Karev. Your muscles weren't tense. Let's the bone pop in easier. You should know that," she scolded.

"I know that," he grumbled, "I just didn't expect it to hurt so fricking much." Bailey smiled at him while she slid his arm into a sling and handed him a prescription for painkillers.

"I don't want to see you back here until next week. Doctors orders." After adjusting the sling for a few minutes after she had gone, Alex got up and headed for the NICU to find out how the preeme baby was doing. When Arizona spotted him she came straight over and gave him a tentative hug.

"You did great today."

"Yeah, yeah. How's the baby," he asked, shrugging off her praise. Smiling at his stubbornness, Arizona led him over to the incubator where the baby now lay.

"She's going to be fine. Her mother gets here tomorrow." Nodding Alex leant his head against the plastic and just watched her breathe. "You did everything right Alex. When they brought her in she was warm and ventilated and that's all thanks to you." Patting him on the shoulder, Arizona left him to watch over the baby.

By the time the heavy drugs had worn off Meredith had a walking cast on her left leg, a splint on her arm and her ribs wrapped in bandages. Smiling when Derek sighed in frustration she asked him what was wrong.

"I'm hungry and there's no fridge in your room," he joked.

"It's okay. I sent Christina to get pizza."

"For breakfast?"

"We've been awake for thirty eight hours. It's dinner. A very very late dinner." Patting the bed next to her Meredith shuffled over slightly. "Come lie next to me." Carefully climbing onto the bed next to her Derek settled his head on the pillow facing her and smiled.

"We'll be okay, just the two of us. If that's what you want." Smiling at him, Meredith was about to reply when a knock on the door interrupted.

"Christina's here, with pizza," Meredith said smiling. "Come in." When the door pushed open they both took a breath in, surprised to Janet stood there with Zola in her arms.

"I tried the house but there was no one there. I guessed you'd both be here," she said some what apologetically. "When the lady at the front desk said you we're in here I expected you to be with a patient."

"It's fine," Derek said as he jumped of the bed and reached out for Zola. Janet smiled as she passed her too him watching as Derek moved back to the bed and sat down next to him, putting Zola snugly in between him and Meredith.

"She's yours now." When both surgeons faces lit up with delight Janet couldn't help but smile. "The call I told you I hadn't received earlier, the ' _they loved you call_ ' was on my answer machine. I'd missed it."

"It's fine," whispered Derek as he wrapped an arm around Zola and Meredith. "It's perfect in fact."

 **I know. I'm awful. I killed the whole family apart from the eldest daughter. I am pure horrid but I just wanted this to be more about Meredith and Alex than that family. And I'm sorry if some of this is a little OOT, I struggled channelling their voices. Any advice on how I can improve would be wonderful.**

 **Please be nice and leave a review. They make me smile.**


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